A Narrative of a Nine Months' Residence in New Zealand in 1827 eBook

whether they thought I might, with safety, venture
across the country; but I could get nothing from them
but vague and mysterious answers: one thing,
however, they made me very clearly understand; which
was, that they neither cared for me nor for my drawings;
that their own safety engrossed all their thoughts;
and that a worldly-minded, misguided creature like
me was but as dust in the balance, compared to such
godly people as themselves, who were now placed in
jeopardy. They, without scruple, applied quotations
from the Scriptures to themselves, such as, “Why
do the heathen so furiously rage,” etc.,
etc.

My necessities compelled me to request a favour from
them, which was, that they would allow one of their
boys, who could speak English, to accompany me, as
our loads were heavy; and his being known to belong
to their establishment I thought might be some protection;
but the short answer of the monosyllable “No”
soon made me repent having asked it. I spread
my bed in one of their empty rooms; and started at
daybreak next morning, with my two native slaves.
I could not banish from my remembrance the inhospitable
conduct of these missionaries; they never even inquired
whether I had any provision for a journey they themselves
would not have dared to undertake, which was evident
by their giving a native a warm piece for merely
taking a letter for them. As my shoes were nearly
worn out, and I had a long distance to go, over execrable
roads, I had intended asking them for a new pair, as
they had abundance of everything of the kind sent
to them from England, to distribute to the needy (and
I fully came under that description of character);
but finding them so selfish and cold-hearted, and
meeting with one refusal, I refrained, and set off,
literally almost barefooted.

CHAPTER XLIX.

THE JOURNEY TO HOKIANGA.

We journeyed on all day by a road I had never been
before, my attendants evidently taking by-paths to
avoid meeting stragglers or runaways. I was well
laden, having to carry my musket and my basket of provisions;
and each of my men, in addition to the loads I had
placed on his shoulders, bore a basket of potatoes.
Once or twice, during our route, we saw some persons
at a distance, and I was sorry to notice the great
alarm it occasioned to my companions, as I now had
every reason to apprehend, that, in case of danger,
they would slip off their burdens, make their escape,
and leave me and my baggage to my fate, which the missionaries
had told me they considered a thing very likely to
happen. Once we heard a great firing of muskets,
which I afterwards ascertained to be the feu de
joie fired at the first meeting of the chiefs,
at their grand assembling in the neutral village.